Sunderland Sign Dayann Methalie from Toulouse as Newcastle Step Back
Sunderland are on the brink of landing one of the most coveted young defenders in France, with Dayann Methalie set to swap Toulouse for the Stadium of Light in a deal worth around £26m.
For months, Newcastle had tracked the France Under-21 international, viewing him as an ideal fit for their youth-focused recruitment model. They scouted him heavily, explored a move in January and kept him firmly on their list into the summer. Then they walked away. No bid. No late push. Just a quiet decision to move in a different direction while a rival moved decisively.
Sunderland did not hesitate.
Le Bris gets his man
Régis Le Bris is understood to be closing in on his second signing of the summer, with Methalie verbally agreeing a five-year contract. The 20-year-old, who made 27 Ligue 1 appearances for Toulouse last season, brings versatility and presence: 6ft 2in, quick across the ground, comfortable as a left-back, wing-back or on the left of a back three or four.
He will walk into a dressing room where French is already a common language. Enzo Le Fée, Nordi Mukiele and Habib Diarra have helped build a sizeable French-speaking core, and Le Bris’s arrival earlier in the summer only deepened that identity. Methalie slots neatly into that structure, both culturally and tactically.
Sunderland can also offer something Newcastle cannot this season: Europa League football. For a young defender on the rise, the lure of European nights, regular minutes and a coach who trusts emerging talent is a powerful combination.
Le Bris has already strengthened one flank with the free transfer signing of Belgium right-back Thomas Meunier from Lille. Methalie, once the paperwork is complete, will arrive as the marquee investment on the opposite side.
Battle on the left
He will not be handed the left-back berth. He will have to take it.
Reinildo stands in his way, and the Mozambican is unlikely to surrender his place without a fight. That competition is precisely what Sunderland want. Methalie’s blend of recovery pace, physical strength and a composed left foot has allowed him to thrive as a left-sided central defender as well as a full-back, giving Le Bris options to shift between a back three and a back four without losing balance.
For a club looking to push on in Europe and domestically, this is the profile they have targeted: young, athletic, adaptable, with resale value and room to grow.
Newcastle once thought the same. He seemed to fit perfectly into their preferred £20m–£40m bracket, the sweet spot of their recruitment strategy. Yet when it came time to move, they stepped back and Sunderland stepped through the door.
Newcastle’s full-back puzzle
Across the Tyne, the search continues.
Eddie Howe still needs cover at both left-back and right-back, and the right side has become a particular concern after Kieran Trippier’s departure at the end of last season. The England international’s exit has left a sizeable tactical and leadership gap, one Howe is keen to fill before the new campaign begins.
Newcastle’s decision not to push for Methalie leaves them hunting alternative solutions on both flanks, with the clock ticking and other priorities jostling for attention in the market.
Guimarães, Willock and the next moves
At the heart of those priorities sits Bruno Guimarães. The midfielder’s future continues to hang on Arsenal’s willingness to meet a fee in the region of £80m. Newcastle’s captain, fresh from a post-World Cup holiday in Brazil, is due back on Tyneside on Friday before heading to a training camp in La Manga with the rest of the first-team squad.
If Arsenal firm up their interest and pay the price, Newcastle’s summer could change shape overnight. If they do not, Howe will likely build once more around his influential No 39 and work within tighter financial margins.
Joe Willock’s situation remains another live thread. Newcastle have already turned down an offer of around £10m from Besiktas for the former Arsenal midfielder, but there is an openness to a sale at closer to £20m. That stance underlines the delicate balance the club must strike: raising funds, reshaping the squad, and still trying to close the gap on the Premier League’s elite.
So while Sunderland prepare to unveil a France Under-21 defender as a statement signing for their European push, Newcastle continue to juggle departures, dilemmas and gaps in key positions.
One club has turned a long-term scouting mission into a decisive move. The other must now show whether it can be just as sharp when the next opportunity arrives.
